In boating it is often desirable to seek shelter from the sun or other weather elements, such as rain, but few boats include structures that provide a significant amount of shaded or protected area. One common method for providing shade or weather protection to a boat is the addition of a Bimini top, which is a fixed structure that cannot be adjusted to allow for optimal placement of shade relative to the changing position of the sun. Rather, such Bimini tops are generally sized to only provide shade to a cockpit area of the boat. Also, installation of a Bimini top requires hardware to be permanently attached to the boat, including a number of uprights that extend from the boat to a framed canvas, which can restrict access to the boat or a user's ability to fish from the boat. One example of such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,370,597 to Schwindaman.
Another method of providing shade or weather protection is the addition of a retractable boat canopy, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,857,366 to Russikoff. This type of system typically includes a canvas supported by a telescoping frame, which is attached to or integral with an upright structure surrounding the cockpit area of the boat, commonly referred to as a tower. However, this shade cannot be adjusted to allow for optimal placement of shade relative to the changing position of the sun. This solution also requires hardware to be permanently attached to a boat, and does not allow for an additional shaded area that is substantially wider than that already provided by a tower.